Game apparatus



July 14, 1925.

F. W. K'NIEBUSCH GAME APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1925 lrlhumm I Patented July 14, 1925.

FRANK KNIEBUSCH, 0F WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed May 11, 1925. Serial No. 29,579.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK W. KNIEBUSC'H, a citizen of the United States, -residing vat -Woodstock, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Game Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable `others skilled in theart to 'which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention aims to provide a novel type of game analogous to 4an ordinary bowling alley, but provided With a novel arrangerment of stalls or pockets adapted to receive a ball rolled down the alley, and provided with means for indicating the pocket into which the ball has entered, even though the pockets may be obscured from view, below the alley.

With the foregoing'and minor objects in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a game apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. y

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 isa horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sectional views as indicated by lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of a fragment of the apparatus,

, as indicated by line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the movably mounted barrier hereinafter described, showing the partition plates carried thereby and forming therewith the above mentioned pockets or stalls.

In the drawing above briefly described, the

numeral 1 designates a horizontally elongated .casing which may be of any desired proportions, but is preferably of approximately thirty feet in length. The top 2 0f this casing forms a bowling alley and its bottom 3 constitutes means for returning the bowling balls to a suitable ball rack 4 at the front end ofthe casing, one of the balls being indicated at 5 in Fig. 1.

At the rear end of the casing l, a cabinet i 6 is provided containing electric lights 7 and provided with transparent front panels 8 bearing legends to be used in keeping the completing the circuits of the electric lights 7, and it will be understood that one of these lights is disposed behind each panel 8. Thus,

the success of the balls rolled down the alley,

vis indicated to the players. The only balls which effect illumination of the lights 7, are those passing through an opening 9 in the rear portion of the alley 2, and a gap 10 is provided at the rear end of this alley to permit any balls which do not pass through said opening 9, to drop into the interior of the casing 1, so that they can return to the rack 4. IVithin the gapy 10, a loosely hung strike cushion 11 is preferably provided, and a bumper 12 may be employed behind this cushion, so that noise isreduced to the minimum when playing the game.

Within the casing l, is an inclined ball chute 13 which is arranged to receiveeall balls passing through the opening 9. This chute declines from the rear edge of this opening to the bottom 3 of the casing 1, and transversely, it extends from one vertical side wall 14 of the casing, into spaced relation with the opposite side wall 15 of said casing, the last named portion of the chute being provided with an upstanding wall 16 which prevents the balls from running laterally therefrom. Leading to this wall 16 and extending diagonally from the wall 14, is a ball-guiding strip 17 which is secured to the bottom `3 and serves to guide the balls from the gap 10, into the space between the ing 9, and the chute 18 is by preference provided with a plurality of upstanding, padded pegs 21, between which the balls must pass before they can enter` any of the pockets. These pockets are equal in number to the electric lights 7, and normally open switches 22 are provided for said lights, in said pockj ets. These switches are preferably carried by the barrier 18 and whenever a ball comes in contact with one of said switches, the latter is closed by Said ball, with the result that the light 7 in circuit with the closed switch, is illuminated. Thus, even though i the pockets or stalls are below the alley 2,

a light 7 will disclose into which of the stalls or pockets, a ball has entered, after passing through the opening 9.

For clearing the stalls or pockets of balls, I provide any preferred meansUfor swinging the barrier 18 forwardly, as shown in dotted linesin Fig 6, permitting the balls or ball to roll onto the bottom 3, for ret-urn to the rack 4, said bottom being preferably provided with a guiding rail 23, causing the balls to roll along the side wall 15.

In the present showing, for swinging the ybarrier 18 forwardly, I have provided a longitudinal rod 24 within the casing and connected atits rear end to said barrier by a link 25, whilethe front end of said rod is formed with a hand-grip or the like 26, disposed at the frontend of the casing 1.

The game is played very much like ordinary bowling, and any ball which is rolled` the Strike legend is illuminated, and the other lights are of course lighted whenever the'ball reachestheir respective pockets.

The apparatus is rather simple and inexpensive, may be readily used in numerous places in which it is inadvisable to install an ordinary bowling alley, and will give a great deal of amusement. As excellent results are obtainable from the general construction disclosed, such construction may well be followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous modifications may be made.

I claim: 1. A game comprising an alley, a chute under said alley to receive a ball from the same, ball-receiving pockets at the lower end of said chute having different counting values, and ball-actuated indicating means for disclosing into which pocket the ball enters. i 2; A game comprisin an alley, 'a chute under said alley to receive a ball from the same, 4a movably mounted barrier at the lower end of said chute, ball-receiving stalls formed in part `by said barrier and ,having dilferent counting values, ball-actuated indicating means for disclosing into which stall the ball enters, means for moving said barrier to clear the stalls of balls, and ball-returning means from the stalls tothe front end of the alley.

3. A structure asy specified in claim 2; said stalls comprising said barrier, and par.- tition plates projecting from said barrier toward the upper end of the chute.

4. A game comprising a horizontally elongated casing whose top forms an alley, a chute -in the casing adapted to receive a ball from the alley, ball-receiving pockets at the lower end of the chute having different counting values, and ball-actuated indicating means for disclosing into whichpocket the ball enters.

5. A game comprising ahorizontally elongated casing whose top forms an alley and Whose bottom constitutes -a ball-return runway, a communicating opening being` pro- 4 vided from'the rea-r end of the alley to the interior of the casing, a forwardly declined chute in the rear portion of the casing spaced inwardly from one side wall of the latter, the alley being formed with a ball opening at the upper end of said chute, ballreceiving pockets at the lower end of the chute and having different counting values,

lball-actuated indicating means for disclos- -ing into which pocket a ball from said opening enters, and means for clearing the pockets of balls, permitting the latter to roll upon said ball-return runway.

6. A game comprising a horizontally elongated casing whose top forms an alley and whose bottom constitutes a ball-return runway, a communicating opening being provided from the rear end ofthe alley to the interior of the casing, a forwardly declined chute in the rear portion of the casing spaced inwardly from one side wall ofthe latter, the alley being formed with a ball opening at the upper end of said chute, a movably mounted barrier at the lower end of said chute, ball-receiving stalls formed in part'by said barrier and havin different ycounting values, ball-actuated indicating means for discloslng into which stall a 'ball Vfrom said opening enters, and means for moving the aforesaid barrier to clear the stalls of balls, permittlng the latter to roll upon said ball-return runway.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto ailixed my signature.

AFRANK W. KNIEBUSCH. 

